The paradisiacal yet mildly strenuous Scandinavian countryside and roads are tailor made for the biking enthusiasts. But obviously, there are a few confounding obstacles for some of us who are loath to shed too much of their body fat. One of such potent uphill struggles is presented by the steep winding street in the city of Trondheim, Norway. And, what biker-friendly solution did the municipality came up with to tackle this precipitous gradient? Why of course, a bicycle escalator!

Also known as the Trampe, the original prototype of the bicycle escalator was installed way back in 1993 by the city officials. According to Jarle Wanvik, the inventor of the mechanism – the dynamic infrastructure had helped more than 200,000 cyclists along a distance of 134 m of the residential hill, over an extended period of 15 years. However, the version you see above was modified in the year 2013 with various improvements in safety features. It is currently marketed with the industrial brand name of Cyclocable.

The fascinating engineering feat is simply activated by a control panel situated at the lowest level of the street. On switching the mechanism on, a blunt small metallic plate gradually moves along the upward track with a manageable speed of 3.4 miles per hour. The tired cyclist can simple position his/her foot on the plate, which takes the person along for a merry little ride through the winding landscape.

The urban road-based design is expected to make a larger commercial impact in the coming years. You can take a quick look at the Cyclocable home site for more information.